Elevator-leg.



N0 MGDEL.

PATENTED JAN. 2o, 190s.

L. BURMBISTBR. 4

ELBVATOR LEG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1902.

llnrrnn dramas Partnr Ormes.

LOUIS BURMEISTER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ELEVATOR-LEG.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,907, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed February 1, 1902. Serial No. 92,157. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, Louis BURMEISTER, re-. siding at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elevator-Legs, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this speciication.

Myinvention has relation to improvements iu elevator-legs of grain-elevators, more especially adapted for flour-elevators.

In the class of elevator-legs which are composed of wood said legs are subject to leakage not only by reason of theA fact that the wood wears away very quickly, but also in view of the fact that the wood, owing toits becoming dry, is liable to open at the joints. Under this old construction when the difficulty referred to arises it has been necessary to remove the entire leg and either thoroughly repair the same and then reinsert it in place or else substitute a new leg therefor.` Other forms of construction employ metallic legs; but in all cases where these are used the sections of the legs have been riveted together, so as to render it impossible to separate them.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a metallic leg composed of separable sections which when united form an eectual safeguard against dust entering the interior of the leg, and consequently avoiding the disadvantages inherent in the wooden legs, the structure also contemplating an improved arrangement and combination of the sections of such character as to permit of their being readily separated without the necessity of stopping the running of the endless belt. The necessity for separating frequently arises, owing to substances getting into the legs, and thereby clogging and preventing the free running oil the belt, if not causing serious damage thereto.

Having the above primary object in view, as well as other incidental objects, the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the arrangement of my improved elevator-leg. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the head of the elevator, showing in dotted lines the upper drum and the endless belt passing therearound. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the hoot of the elevator, also showing in dotted lines the lower drum and the belt passing therearound. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3, the stubs being removed. Fig. 5 is a crosssection through the leg. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through one corner of a leg. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the diagonally opposite corner thereof. Fig. 8 shows a section of the corner of the leg with a camlever for tightening the bolt which secures the two parts of the metal together at the angle. Fig. 9 is a view at right angles to Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of stub, and Fig. 11 is a detail view of the clamp 4l and the felt lining 42 therein.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 11 and 12 respectivelyindicate the bottom and top timbers of a building in which the elevator is located. Projecting through the bottom timber and above the same for a short distance is a stub 13, which extends through a collar 14, said collar being secured to the stub by means of rivets, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lower edge of the collar is provided with a base-Hangs 15, which is screwed down to the bottom timber. The collar therefore serves to securely hold the stub in its suspended position. Extending through the upper timber and depending downwardly therefrom is a similar stub 16, which also passes through a collar 17 and is held in its suspended position by rivets passing through said collar and engaging the stub. Said collar is likewise provided with a base-flange 18, which is screwed down to the upper timber.

My improved elevator-leg, which is preferably made of sheet-iron or other suitable metal, is composed of two similarly-shaped half-sections (indicated by the numerals 19 and 20, respectively) and which `sections when fitted together form a substantially rectangular-shaped figure. These sections are jointed together at diagonally opposite corners by peculiarly-formed joints, which are most clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. At

one of the corners the section 19 is extended outwardly in a diagonal direction and thence bent around and inwardly to form a hooklike projection 21, while the metal at the corresponding edge of the section 20 is bent out- IOO wardly in a diagonal direction in a` single thickness to form a diagonal projection 22, which fits in the space formed by the hooklike projection 2l. The parts forming this joint and so iitted together are tightlyclarnped by means of a series of bolts 23, passing through the members of the hook-like projection and through the intermediate projection 22. Each bolt is provided at one end with a head and has its opposite end threaded to receive a clamping-nut 24. In the space between the outer edge of the projection 22 and the inner side of the bend of the hooklike projection a strip of felt or other suitable material 25 is inserted in order to more effectnally render the joint dust-proof. The joint at the diagonally opposite corner of the leg is preferably formed by extending the edges of bothsections 19 and 2O of the leg outwardly in a diagonal direction to form two parallel and adjacent projections 26 and 27. Fitted over these projections is a U-shaped clip 28. 'lheside members of this clip are firmly clamped to the projections 26 and 27 by means of bolts 29, passing through said side members of the clip and through the projections, each bolt provided on one end with a head and having its opposite end threaded to receive a clamping-nutf). In the space between the outer edges of the projections 26 and 27 and the inner side of the bend of the U-shaped clip I prefer to insert a piece of felt or other suitable material 31. This strip of felt assists in rendering the joint dust-proof.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show a slight modification, wherein instead of employing a nut 24 or 30 for each bolt said bolt is intersected by a transverse pin 32 and the end of the bolt is straddled by the arms formed by the bifurcated end of a cam-lever 33, said arms being pivoted on the pin 32. Vhen this lever is turned down tothe position illustrated in Fig. 8, the cam edge thereof will bear tightly against the metal, and thereby serve to clamp the parts securely together.

l As is Well understood by those familiar with this class of inventions, the elevator-leg in case of grain-elevators reaches into the bin or cellar or other portion of the building in which the grain is located. A strong endless belt carrying a series of buckets passes over a drum at one end, thence downwardly through one of the legs, thence around a drum at the other end, and finally upwardly through the other leg. In Fig. 2 I show the head portion, in which the upper drum is located, said head portion' being indicated by the numeral 34. In this head portionv I show by dotted lines the upper drum 35 and also by dotted lines the endless bucket-carrying belt, (indicated by the numeral 36.) In Figs. 3 and 4 I show the boot portion, in which the lower drum is located, said boot portion being indicated by the numeral 37 and the drum therein (shown by dotted lines) by the numeral 38. The head portion has depending therefrom the stubs 39 It will of course be understood that in each.

story or floor of the building the elevator-legs v are arranged as shown in Fig. l. For instance, if there is a story above the timber l2 the lower end of an elevator-leg is itted to the upwardly-projecting portion of the stub 16, and if there is a story below the timber 1l the upper end of an elevator-leg is fitted to the lower end of the stub 13, and so on throughout the structure, the upper ends of the uppermost legs being fitted to the stubs 39 of the'head portion and the lower ends of the lowermost legs being fitted to the stubs 40.

In order vto effectually close the joint between the end of the elevator-leg and the end of a stub, I prefer to employ clamping-strips 4l, which are clamped around the end of the leg by passing bolts through the adjacent ends of the strips. In Fig. l one of these clamps is shown. It is preferably provided interiorly with a narrow lining 42 of felt or other suitable material, so as to render the joint as far as possible absolutely dust-proof.

It Will be noticed that the lower end of a leg does not rest directly on the timber or the flange 15 of the collar 14, but rests on the upper edge of said collar.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings I show a modified form of construction of stub, (indicated by the numeral 43.) This stub instead of passing through a collar similar to collar 14 or 17 is itself provided with a horizontal liange 44, which may be cast integral with the stub and which is screwed down to the timber and upon which the lower end of the leg rests.

In this class of elevators, as is well uuderstood, each elevator-leg is provided with a door which when opened allows a person to inspect the interior, and thereby ascertain whether the belt is properly working ory whether the buckets thereof are carrying their full complement of grain. In the crosssectional View Fig. 5 one of these doors is shown and is indicated by the numeral 45.

By my improved construction of elevatorleg I overcome the difficulties heretofore eX- ist-ing in reference to wooden legs, which, as previously stated, are subject to shrinkage and breakage at the joints, thereby rendering them other than dust-proof, and I also obviate the difficulties existing in metallic legs as now constructed, which, as stated, are rivoted together, and hence cannot be separated. By my improved form when any defect arises in the Working of the belt, and which frequently happens through clogging matter passing into the leg, all that is necessary to be done is to take out the bolts uniting the sections of the legs at the two joints of said sections and then remove the sections without the necessity of stopping the running of IOO IIO

the machinery, and after the clogging matter is removed or other damage repaired the sections can be readily replaced.

What I claim as my invention is l. The combination with a building, stubs projecting from the top and bottom fioorings or timbers of said building, and an elevatorleg having its lower end fitted to the upper end of the lower stub, and its upper end fitted to the lower end of the upper stub.

2. The combination of tubular stubs, an elevator-leg having its opposite ends iitted to the ends of the stubs, said leg composed of sections iitted and jointed together, means connecting said sections so as to permit them to be separated, and a filling-strip for the joint of the sections.

3. The combination of a building, stubs projecting from the upper and lower tloorings or timbers thereof, and an elevator-leg having its opposite ends detacbably fitted to the ends of the respective stubs, whereby the leg, when detached from the stubs, maybe moved longitudinally in order to provide for inspection of a belt passing through said leg.

4. The combination of a building, stubs passing through the upper and lower iioorings or timbers of the different stories of said building, and an elevator-leg composed of a plurality of longitudinal lengths, one length being provided foreach story of the building, and the lower end of such length being fitted to the upper protruding end ofthe lowerstub, and the upper end of said length fitted to the lower end of the upper stub, whereby a continuous elevator-leg composed of a plurality of longitudinal lengths is provided.

5. The combination of tubular stubs, an elevator-leg having its opposite ends tted to the stubs, said leg composed of sections fitted together and jointed at a plurality of the angles or corners thereof, the joint at one corner being formed by said sections having adjacent, parallel, diagonal extensions, a U- shaped clip fitting over said diagonal extensions, and means engaging said clip and the diagonal extensions, said means providing for the sections being separated.

f5. The combination of tubular stubs, an elevator-leg having its opposite ends fitted to the stubs, said leg composed of sections fitted together and jointed at a plurality of the angles or corners thereof, the joint at one corner being formed by one of the sections being extended diagonally in the form of a hooklike projection, and the other section having a diagonal extension fitting in the space of the hook-like projection, and the other joint being formed by said sections having adjacent, parallel, diagonal extensions, and a U- shaped clip fitting said extensions, means engaging the diagonal hook-like projection and the intermediate projection at one corner, and means engaging the U-shaped clip and the adjacent, parallel, diagonal projections therein at the other corner, said several means providing for the sections being separated.

7. In an elevator-leg composed of sections -fitted together and jointed at a plurality of the angles or corners thereof, the joint at one corner being formed by said sections having adjacent parallel diagonal extensions, a U- shaped clip fitting over said diagonal extensions, and means engaging said clip and the diagonal extensions for removably binding said sections together.

8. The combination of tubular stubs, an elevator-leg havingits opposite ends iitted to the ends of the stubs, said leg composed of sections fitted and jointed together,bolts passing through the joint, and a cam-lever engaging each bolt, said lever when turned in one direction clamping the sections together, and when turned in the opposite direction permitting said sections to be separated.

9. The combination of tubular stubs, an elevator-leg having its opposite ends fitting the ends of the stubs, said leg composed of sections fitted and jointed together, means connecting said sections so as to permit them to be separated, and a clamping-collar iitting the joint between the end of a stub and an end of the leg.

10. In an elevator-leg composed of sections fitted together and jointed at a plurality of the angles or corners thereof, the joint at one corner being formed by said sections having adjacent parallel diagonal extensions, a U- shaped clip fitting over said diagonal extensions, a dust-guard located Within said U- shaped clip, and means engaging said clip and the diagonal extensions for removably binding said sections together.

ll. The combination with an elevator-leg composed of metallic sections, each section at diagonally opposite corners provided With a diagonal extension, said extensions, When the sections are adjusted together, being parallel and adjacent to each other, of means for engaging said diagonal extensions for removably binding said sections together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LOUIS BURMEISTER.

Witnesses:

A. L. MoRsELL, ANNA V. FAUsT.

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